Oklahoma City Thunder’s successful acquisition of Alex Caruso is one of the best trades of the NBA this summer, according to experts.

Amid a roster loaded with young talent, OKC adds a high-level defensive specialist who can shoot from distance, has won an NBA championship, and can fit into any existing system.

Once an unselected player in the NBA Draft, Alex Caruso was given the opportunity to join the Oklahoma City Thunder Training Camp in 2016.

Unable to compete for a first-team spot, the former Texas A&M student was sent down to the G-League, playing for the Oklahoma City Blue in the 2016-17 season under coach Mark Daigneault (coincidentally, the current head coach of the Thunder).

After a year in OKC, Alex Caruso was given a chance at the Los Angeles Lakers with a two-way contract for the 2017-18 season. Here, Caruso played better and better, competing for a spot on the Los Angeles Lakers first team and creating a stepping stone to become a defensive specialist – 3-point shooter as he is today.

“Bald Mamba” Alex Caruso has been one of the most interesting development stories in the NBA over the past 6 years. He went from being a virtually unknown player to a name sought after by many teams.

So what helped Caruso make such an amazing change? The 1994-born guard thanked LeBron James for his great contribution in helping him become the version he is today.

“In sports, confidence is key. And in the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James gave me that ,” Alex Caruso told a local radio station in Texas.

“The encouragement, the care and the guidance from such a big name, one of the most well-rounded, intelligent, iconic players in the NBA and possibly the greatest player in history… it was really special.

LeBron helped me believe in myself and believe that what I was doing was right. He wanted me to believe in my abilities, to believe that I could do well and that I could turn around an NBA game.

“I’ve always wanted to be on the court at the end of the game, where my teammates and I can directly bring home the win. LeBron’s encouragement and belief in me definitely helped me a lot,” added the player who recently joined the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After 4 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers (including 2 years playing in parallel in the G-League) and winning the championship in 2020, Alex Caruso joined the Chicago Bulls to continue his career.

Here, he was honored for two consecutive years in the NBA All-Defensive 1st Team (2023) and 2nd Team (2024). Along with his defensive and fierce fighting ability, the 1994-born defender also significantly improved his offensive skills.

The 2023-24 season saw Caruso average 10.1 points, 40.8% 3PT shooting, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in 71 games.

Now the “Bald Mamba” will bring his unique skill set to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished atop the NBA’s Western Conference last season.

“The No. 1 position in the Western Conference is not an easy thing, especially when the Western Conference teams are constantly improving the quality of their squads and bringing a very high level of competition. Moreover, they also have the youngest squad in the league, so I really admire what OKC has.

Along with Isaiah Hartenstein, I think the two of us can help the Thunder team become more complete because both of us are easy-to-integrate players. The team also retains many important young pillars, promising an explosive season ahead , “Caruso said about the upcoming season with OKC.

Highlights of Alex Caruso’s incredibly annoying defense for the Chicago Bulls

On paper, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be one of the big names in the West. But the biggest challenge still lies in overcoming big names like the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers to advance deep in the Playoffs.

And with the presence of Alex Caruso, the OKC Thunder can completely surpass the threshold they reached last season, bringing a more comprehensive lineup in the 2024-25 NBA.